On-Screen Chemistry
by thecolfs
Summary: Prompt: "Two extras have to sit across from each other and pretend to converse at a restaurant on the set of a movie, but the fake conversation becomes real and they're really into each other. The director keeps having to call cut because they're distracting from the actual characters who are supposed to be making eyes/looking like they're in love, not a couple of random extras."
1. Chapter 1

It started at a cafe.

Actually, that was a lie. Technically it started with a favor; Kurt had taken over several of Rachel's shifts at the diner while she was out auditioning for show after show, only to get recommended for a lead role in a movie. She'd thanked him countless times and even promised to take him to the set at some point.

That's where he met the one and only Cooper Anderson, the latest hot, young face of Hollywood. His career had all but exploded after he'd starred in the Free Credit Rating Today commercial and had been on the rise ever since. As it turned out, he would be Rachel's co-star- and love interest. The pair had unbelievable chemistry, at least according to Rachel. Kurt wasn't shocked by this, seeing as Rachel tended to think every guy who smiled her way had the potential to be her soulmate.

"This is different," she would always argue. "He's the real deal, Kurt, I promise."

And then Kurt would end up comforting her as she sobbed over her latest heartbreak, devastated that she'd been wrong yet was never down for long, though, always bouncing back after a few days and putting herself back out there.

Which was how she landed this role: after getting rejected on Broadway time and time again, she finally decided to audition for a commercial but got shot down even for that. In the midst of her wallowing and wondering if she should give up on acting altogether, she'd received a phone call and a life-changing opportunity.

Several weeks later, he finally cashed in all of his favors for the chance to visit the set and meet the most attractive man in North America.

Cooper was… not exactly what he'd anticipated; Kurt had been starstruck for the first hour or so, hanging on his every word until he actually started listening to what was being said.

"I find eye contact distracting in a scene," Cooper had told him at one point. "I suggest ignoring your partner completely."

That was when the illusion shattered. Cooper may be talented and beyond handsome, but he was also as dumb as a pile of rocks.

His brother, on the other hand…

He'd met Blaine when they arrived on location and immediately become smitten. It was like he was back in high school, observing him at every chance he got and blushing bright when he was caught. Rachel teased him endlessly about it and when the director called for the extras to take their places, she'd loudly commented that Blaine sitting alone with a newspaper looked too out of place for such a potentially iconic scene. Kurt had been asked to wait a few lines before entering and mime an apology for his feigned tardiness.

"Then just make casual conversation," the director instructed him. "I don't care what you talk about, just keep the volume down."

Kurt stood off to the side, observing intently while Rachel delivered her first lines. He felt a rush of pride for her as the gravity of the situation finally set in: his best friend was starring in a movie. He was going to be an extra i said movie.

Speaking of- shit. He should probably walk on screen soon.

He waited until Cooper was several words into his response before hurrying to where Blaine was sitting, blushing a bit when the man stood to help him into his chair.

"Glad you could make it," he winked and Kurt very nearly swooned. "Have you ever been an extra before?"

"No, actually," Kurt answered, "this is my first time."

"I'll be gentle," Blaine grinned at him and Kurt nearly choked. "So tell me about yourself, Kurt."

"There's not really much to tell, really. I'm a waiter and I intern at , but I want to be a performer," he told him, sipping the "coffee" that had been provided by the crew. "What about you?"

"I act, but I'm more wood stage and less silver screen," Blaine leaned closer. "But I'm not opposed to it if it means I get to meet men as stunning as you while I'm at it."

Kurt's eyes widened and he felt himself turning pink for the dozenth time that day, far from used to being so blatantly flirted with. He gaped for a moment before regaining his confidence and casually leaning back in his chair.

"The feeling is mutual," he volleyed back. "I'm a fan of wood myself."

It was Blaine's turn to choke.

"Cut!" the director called. "That was decent, we're gonna reset and do it again and then you can all take five."

"I'm impressed," Blaine told him. "You broke me first, I like to think that's hard to do."

"You'd better step your game up then, Mr. Anderson," Kurt teased, standing to take his place behind the scenes. "I expect a challenge this time around."

"I'll see what I can do," Blaine lifted the newspaper again, schooling his features back into a more professional expression.

"And… action!"

Rather than focusing on Rachel and Cooper this time, Kurt opted for observing Blaine's face as the scene went on. He waited a moment before entering with purpose, stooping low to press a kiss to Blaine's cheek.

"Hey, baby," he said before pulling out his own chair. "Sorry I'm late, traffic was a bitch."

"No worries," Blaine grinned, unphased. "I haven't been waiting long."

"I see," Kurt paused, considering his options. He was about to make some kind of innuendo when he had an idea. "So… I was thinking about us."

"Oh?" Blaine raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Do tell."

"Mhmm," Kurt mirrored Blaine's movements, reaching forward to tangle their fingers together and ignoring the rapid beating of his heart. "We've been together for such a long time."

"These past several minutes have been life changing," Blaine snickered and Kurt ignored him.

"I think I'm ready for the next step," he continued. "So, Blaine whatever your middle name is Anderson…"

"Yes?" Blaine reached for his other hand, his eyes shining with laughter under the LEDs.

"Will you marry me?"

Blaine yanked his hands back to cover his face, shoulders shaking with the force of his giggling.

"Cut!" The director called. "Is there a problem, boys?"

"No, no," Blaine took a deep breath to steady himself. "We're okay, sorry about that."

"Don't let it happen again," the director raised an eyebrow. "Reset for take three."

Kurt stood and replaced his chair, pleased to have won that round. He was fine with calling it a tie and would rather not get kicked off the set, so he decided to actually do his job this time.

"Hey, sorry," he murmured when he hurried into the shot. "I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

"I haven't been," Blaine told him. "You look lovely, by the way. Very chic."

"Thank you," Kurt smiled softly. "So do you. I love your blazer."

Blaine fingered his lapel before thanking him for the compliment.

"So you're here with Rachel Berry, what's she like?"

"She's- interesting," Kurt started cautiously, fully aware that Rachel was only a table away. "She works hard, which is both nice and incredibly annoying to live with. She's actually the one who helped me find my passion in performing."

"Really?" Blaine leaned forward. "I'm glad she did."

"How did you get into acting?" Kurt wondered, resting his chin on his hands. "I'm sure having Cooper as a brother must've had something to do with that."

"Yeah," he sighed, "Cooper was definitely a character. He tried to be encouraging in his own way, it just- wasn't right for me, I guess. I got here on my own."

"Sounds like there's a story there."

"There is," Blaine lifted his gaze back to Kurt's face with a grin. "But that's too heavy for a first date, don't you think?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and blushed, amused.

"Only if you plan for there to be a second," he winked despite his nerves, determined to let Blaine know that he was interested in more than just flirting. "Otherwise you might as well just tell me now."

"I mean, I'm definitely hoping for a repeat of this- maybe without the cameras, though," Blaine leaned in as if he was going to spill some kind of deep, dark secret. "At least for now."

"I'm alright with that," Kurt covered his face and grinned before regaining his composure and sipping at his fake coffee.

"Cut!" the director yelled out for what felt like the dozenth time. "Boys. Could you try to look a little less like you want to leap across the table and rip each other's clothes off? It's rather distracting."

"Yes sir," they chorused and Kurt all but leapt out of his seat to take his place behind the cameras again, ignoring the wide eyed gaze of one miss Rachel Berry. He'd definitely be getting an earful later- he just wasn't sure if she'd be pissed or desperate for details.

He came on sooner this time and his apology was more sincere than it had been during the previous takes.

"Sorry about that," he smiled ruefully. "I'll save the bedroom eyes for when we aren't being watched, I suppose."

"I think that sounds like a marvelous idea," Blaine told him. "I'm not really a fan of sharing, anyway."

"Okay, we should probably tone down the flirting," Kurt gave himself a mental shake down and schooled his features into something more professional. He was not about to get kicked off the set, even if it would be worth it to get some alone time with Blaine. He was an actor over everything, and having a mark against him when he's only an extra would not bode well for future casting opportunities.

"If we must," Blaine sighed and shot him one last wink. "I do kind of feel bad… Cooper is probably going to yell at me later. 'If you're gonna flirt on my set, you can't get mad at me for doing the same thing to you, little brother.' Not looking forward to that conversation."

"Rachel is definitely going to want to know what happened between us," Kurt answered, already dreading the lecture. "I have no idea what to tell her."

"I would have to suggest you lead with the proposal," Blaine chuckled and reached forward to grab his hand. It felt strangely natural. "Everything after that will seem like less of a big deal."

"An excellent idea."

"I do tend to have those every now and then," he deadpanned and Kurt resisted the urge to giggle. That's what got them in trouble last time and he was determined not to be the reason the scene didn't get finished.

"Good to know," he smirked instead. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Cut! Take five, everyone."

Kurt let out a sigh of relief and stood, stretching his arms high above his head; Blaine eyed the bit of skin the action revealed with a hungry gaze. Kurt preened under the attention and was about to comment on it when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Kurt Hummel, you better follow me _right now,_ " Rachel dragged him away before he could respond. "What was that?!"

"What was what, Rach?" he decided to play innocent. She rolled her eyes at him, unamused.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to," she hissed, tightening her grip. "What's with you and Blaine? You've never been this flirty! Even in high school!"

"What, am I not allowed to enjoy the attention?"

"I didn't say that! I'm happy that you're happy, Kurt, of course I am," Rachel lead them outside and stopped at a small table in front of the windows. "I'm just confused. You guys were making eyes at each other like you were high school sweethearts, not extras that were introduced to each other not even an hour before filming."

"Yeah," Kurt sighed happily. "We've got wicked chemistry."

"I'll say."

"Should I ask him out?" he wondered. "I mean, we joked about a second date, but I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not."

"I say go for it," Rachel reached forward and squeezed his hand encouragingly. "I haven't seen you blush so much since Santana tried to give you the sex talk back in high school."

"I thought we agreed never to speak of that again."

Rachel waved his comment away and grinned at him before straightening up in her seat.

"Okay," she started, her tone all business. "How are you going to do this?"

"I have no idea, honestly," Kurt confessed. "I thought maybe I'd just- ask him for coffee after filming is done for the day."

"That seems like a good plan," Rachel nodded to emphasize her approval. "Personally, I'd have serenaded him with a classic number from miss Barbra Streisand, specifically _I Finally Found-_ "

"Rachel," he interrupted her before she could start describing her ideal lighting and other unnecessarily miniscule details. "I'm not going to sing to him. Believe it or not, I don't actually want to send him running for the hills."

"Fine," her shoulders slumped the tiniest bit and she jutted her lip out in a pout. "We'll go with your plan, then."

"Sorry to interrupt, but your five minute break is up, Ms. Berry," a member of the crew told them apologetically.

"I guess I'd better get back to work then!" Rachel responded enthusiastically. "Tell me how it goes."

Without another word, she flounced back inside; Kurt stood to follow but stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Blaine collecting his coat just inside.

"Oh, hey," he said when he bumped into Kurt on his way out. "They said the last take of that scene was good enough and they don't need the extras anymore. I was actually just about to come find you."

"Lucky I was here, then."

"Would you- would you maybe wanna grab a cup of coffee with me? Or dinner, we could do dinner," Blaine seemed nervous, which was adorable. Kurt cut him off before he could stumble through another invitation.

"I would love to," he positively beamed. "Coffee sounds wonderful right about now."

"Excellent," Blaine grinned back at him, extending his elbow for Kurt to latch on to.

...

A year and a half or so later, Kurt brought them back to the same cafe- but this time, his proposal wasn't a joke.


	2. Chapter 2

The movie premiered without a hitch and quickly dominated at the box office; the target audiences absolutely adored the love story between Cooper and Rachel's characters- but what they hadn't anticipated was the reaction that Kurt and Blaine caused.

For the first several weeks, everything went as planned. Critics praised the script and the acting without a single comment about the background moments until someone on tumblr wondered about the extras on a gifset that sent the movie's fandom into chaos.

...

[Caption: _Rachel Berry and Cooper Anderson spark up an on screen romance in their movie_ "The Other Side"]

the-0ther-side: they have such amazing chemistry i cant

coopanderberry: if u havent seen this movie go right now

theotherrachel: look at those extras in the background omfg

jacquelineberry: awW, they're so into it

theotherrachel: ikr i wanna know their story

tosofficial: Ask and you shall receive ;)

...

After that, Kurt and Blaine's popularity skyrocketed from nothing to something overnight. News sites had gotten a hold of the original post and hunted down the names of the extras taking the fandom by storm and all but demanded that the pair do interview after interview- though it was always some form of online blog and never on television.

Before they knew what hit them, the brand new boyfriends were being recognized left and right. They told their story more times than they could count, but it never got internet couldn't get enough of them.

...

[Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson: _"The Other Side" of the Story |_ hollywoodcinemastars]

jacquelineberry: ohhh my god

theotherotherside: they're dating irl?

theotherrachel: YALL I CALLED IT

coopersside: wait wait wait. anderson? as in cooper?

raxhelberry: omfg what is blaine doing i have to KNOW

...

"So," their interviewer began, pen in her hand and a grin on her face, "you two have caused quite the commotion online. What's it been like for you?"

"Well, getting a callback is certainly easier," Blaine joked. Kurt rolled his eyes fondly and squeezed his boyfriend's hand.

"Like you had trouble before," he teased. Blaine ignored him completely, save for raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"In all honesty, it's been kind of wild," Blaine told her. "We got together the day they asked us to be extras. We actually got scolded quite a bit on set for flirting too much."

"Oh yeah," Kurt chuckled lightly. "I expect we'll be in the bloopers. With the fandom loving the tiny bit of us they got, it would be crazy not to include our outtakes."

"Speaking of, has the release date been set yet?" The woman asked. "Your fans will no doubt be anxiously awaiting those bits, how long should they expect to wait?"

"I'm not sure, actually. Blaine?"

"Hell if I know," Blaine shrugged. "I'd kind of forgotten about the movie until people started recognizing me on the street with Kurt. It was bizarre."

"That first time was definitely interesting," Kurt agreed. "This teenage girl across the street completely froze and then shrieked. I thought she was being stabbed or something, but the next thing we knew she was hurrying through the traffic to introduce herself to us. It was surreal, I didn't understand what was going on until she was already gone."

"Oh man, that poor girl probably hates us now," Blaine covered his face. "We were so confused."

"I felt so bad, she was so excited and we just completely froze," Kurt cringed with embarrassment.

"We've gotten better since then," Blaine assured the interviewer, hoping that would help.

"Oh, yes," Kurt confirmed. "We've learned the proper 'I've been recognized' etiquette and haven't humiliated ourselves too terribly."

"Well, that's fantastic," the woman enthused, seeming genuinely pleased that they'd managed to come out on top. "So what's next for you? Any new roles coming up that we should be looking out for?"

"Oh no," Kurt winced. "Not for me, anyway. I'm focusing on my internship at VOGUE dot com for now, but I hope to find my way on stage at some point."

"I wish you the best of luck, then," she told him kindly. "What about you, Blaine?"

"Oh, I don't know," he drawled with a smirk. "I've got something fairly big coming up, but I'm contractually obligated to keep it to myself."

"That sounds interesting, we'll be sure to keep an eye out for you!"

"It won't be hard to miss, I promise."

Kurt raised an eyebrow, just as clueless as their interviewer. He hadn't been kidding when he mentioned how tightly bound the contract was.

"Well, I think that's all we have time for today. It was a pleasure to meet you both and I look forward to seeing you again soon."

"Likewise," Blaine told her with a sincere smile.

"Thank you," Kurt rose and held his hand out to shake.

…

kurtanderhummel: OMFG you guys I just met Kurt and Blaine! they were so sweet and considerate, this is the best day of my life

theotherrachel: you're so lucky! why must i live overseas. w h y

xblainexkurtx: i bumped into them last week and i can confirm that they are two of the most down to earth, kind people ever

c00peranders0n: [crying gif]

…

[BREAKING NEWS: Blaine Anderson Announced as Broadway's Newest Hedwig]

 _read more_

blainehummel: ARE U KIDIDNG

klaineisreal: WHAT

coopooperberry: holy fuckballs is this real life

theotherrachel: OH MY LITERAL GOD

kurtsblaine: can u imagine the sex they're gonna have holy

xblainexkurtx: can u not give me those images hot damn

blaineishedwig: snagged the url before anyone else could

theotherrachel: damn u

…

"The internet just exploded," Kurt carried his laptop over to Blaine. "Look at this, they're so excited for you!"

"Aw, that's so sweet," Blaine grinned, pausing his show to look through the posts with Kurt. "Wait, go back up- what's that?"

"Oh," Kurt mumbled awkwardly, "That's, uh, fanfiction. About us."

"Um."

"Yeah. I tend to stay away from those," Kurt told him and tried to scroll back down.

"Wait, wait, I want to read it," Blaine protested, trying to grab the laptop from his boyfriend. "Ooh, rated M for sexual content."

"Oh god," Kurt covered his face to muffle his giggling. "Please don't, it's so weird."

"Aw, come on, babe, it's not that bad," he paused. "Oh. Oh, that's- that's pretty bad."

"Do I want to know?" Kurt wondered, still hiding behind his hands.

"I'll read it out loud!" Blaine beamed as though that was the greatest idea he'd ever had. "Brace yourself, things are about to get weird."

"Oh my god."

" _Blaine had never seen a man as beautiful as the god standing before him_ ," Blaine said in an exaggerated narrator's voice. " _He knew immediately that this was the man for him._ "

"Please stop," Kurt laughed, clutching his sides.

" _Kurt Hummel, the legendary model that everyone wanted to bed. It was no surprise that he was here, in this bar. It was aimed toward gay men, after all, and it was the only one for miles._ "

"That doesn't even make sense!" Kurt practically fell off the couch.

" _Kurt stood in the middle of the dance floor, gyrating his hips with the music. Blaine felt his pants tighten,_ " Blaine continued, holding back his own laughter.

Kurt was on the floor at this point, the image too amusing for him to remain upright.

"This is- I don't even know," Blaine confessed, finally setting the laptop aside and flinging himself down next to his boyfriend. "That was certainly an adventure. I don't even want to know how the sex is described."

"I'm sure terms like 'throbbing member' were used," Kurt snorted at the thought.

"Oh god, you're probably right," Blaine groaned. "That's somehow endearing and embarrassing at the same time."

"Come on, that doesn't get you going?" Kurt asked, rolling half on top of Blaine. "You can get my member throbbing anytime."

"Jesus Christ, Kurt," Blaine hid his grin behind his hands. "That was terrible."

"But true."

(That night, he proved how true it was for the first time- and couldn't even be mad when Blaine woke him up by reading the smut out loud.)

…

[Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Opening Night | Backstage Photos]

blaineanderson-news: New Backstage pics from opening night (source)

theotherrachel: OH MY GOD LOOKA T THEM

kurtlovesblaaine: BABIES

andersonhummel: [crying gif]

blainerz: is that a ring on Kurt's finger?

the-0ther-side: holy shit

…

Announcing their engagement was supposed to happen months after it was forced out of them, but it was actually better that it came out when it did. They suddenly had an even larger following than ever before, what with Blaine playing the lead in a Broadway hit and Kurt's fashion career taking off. People were constantly stopping them in the streets for autographs and confessions that their story gave them enough hope to keep themselves going.

Stories like that always reduced Blaine to tears; he'd never allowed himself to dream of changing people's lives like that, but that had always been what he wanted to do most: make art and help people.

Now that they were engaged, their fandom seemed to more than triple- which in turn led to their success increasing tenfold. Audiences grew until shows were sold out weeks in advance and Kurt's exclusive line of jewelry went out of stock in just hours.

Despite what people may think, they actually got to spend more time together. While Blaine was busy with performing and Kurt had his hands full with designing, they found plenty of opportunities to be together outside of just at night: Kurt could work from home and Blaine had Mondays off, and they usually had time to meet for lunch dates.

Their fans always loved that because a decent number were in town to see Hedwig and would bump into them wherever they went. They'd take selfies as often as possible and made a habit of carrying Sharpies around at all times in case they were recognized, seeing as it happened every time they left their apartment.

It never got old, though they'd been told by both Cooper and Rachel (who'd tried dating, only to find that while they're chemistry was fantastic, their egos clashed) that they'd grow weary of being in the public eye for so long.

Despite the constant presence of their fanbase, they never forgot that they were the reason their names were recognizable in any way. They owed all of their success to the group online who pointed them out in the background of a movie they'd been dragged into, and neither of them forgot it.

Not when they got married a few months later.

Or when their first child was born soon after.

Or at the Tony's, where Blaine won Best Lead Actor in a Musical.

Or when Kurt finally took to the stage in their co-created show.

Or when their twins were born.

Or when Kurt's dad was hospitalized.

And definitely not when their son was kidnapped and saved by a fan that recognized him.

They owed their fans everything, no matter what happened in their future.


End file.
